In the event charges, including penalties for water or sewer services, are not paid on or before the due date of the bill for such services, such charges shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be delinquent. Thereafter such delinquent charges shall constitute a lien upon the real estate for which such services are supplied, regardless of whether such service has been supplied upon the application of the owner, an occupant or other user; provided, however, that the owner of the real estate shall have no personal liability for the delinquent charges unless said owner was also the applicant for or user of the services giving rise to the charges. The Superintendent of Public Utilities, the Finance Director, or a designee of either is hereby authorized and directed to file sworn statements showing such delinquencies and claiming such lien in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Jefferson County, Illinois after first giving notice of seven (7) days by regular mail of such delinquency to the owner or occupant of such real estate. The statement of claim shall contain such information as shall be required for claims for lien for water services heretofore set forth. The method herein provided for enforcing and foreclosing the lien for sewer services shall not be considered as excluding any other method or remedy for collecting such sewer charges but shall be concurrent with all other remedies and methods. The City shall recover all costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by the City in effecting collection for charges for sewer, water, or garbage collection services or incurred by the City in foreclosing its lien or incurred by the City in effecting or defending any remedy.
(Prior Code, Art. 16, § 16.7(p))